Heart of an Assassin
by Shadow of Dark Souls
Summary: Bastian sends Volke on a new mission...but this time, with a partner. Both are weathered killers, trained to feel no emotion. When in each other's presence, though, those emotions begin to surface again. Volke x OC, NOT yaoi. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

Times were difficult for Tellius; the newly elected senators were just as bad as the previous ones, if not worse. The continent was filled with warring tribes and nations, all because of the senators' blood pacts. Sanaki had sworn that she would keep a very watchful eye on them, but she had neglected her duties. Now, all the laguz tribes were forced to obey the senators' whim and this led to thefts, raids, and deaths all across the land. Until now, the senators had left Crimea alone and allowed it to flourish once more as a nation. Unfortunately, the hawk tribes were beginning to steal crops and destroy farmland. Elincia would have none of this but she didn't know what to do. Blood pacts were tricky, especially if the laguz tribes were involved. Not only would the pact have to be destroyed, but the person who signed it would have to die as well. She did not want to kill _any_ laguz, but if it meant saving their homeland and hers, so be it.

"My queen, what is bothering you on this lovely afternoon? Surely you must be enjoying the sunlight shining down upon us. And the breeze is so gentle, so calming…" Bastian came up behind her, eloquent as always. "I'm just wondering how to end this blood pact issue. Why would anyone want to use something to terrible?" Elincia sighed. "Allow me, milady. You should not trouble yourself with such issues. Enjoy the passing season, go and stroll in the gardens, go frolic in the falling leaves. Leave this political nonsense to your humble count," he said with a deep bow. It was true, Bastian did have a knack when it came to politics, and she trusted him to continue the job he had been doing for years. "Alright Bastian, I'll leave everything to you, then. But please tell me, how do you plan on handling this?"

"Ah, you worry too much, your majesty. Not to worry, I will handle _everything_ and I promise to keep you informed. Now go, go! Enjoy this beautiful weather while you can!" he said, opening his arms as if embracing the air itself. "Thank you, Bastian. I can always count on you." Elincia walked away, leaving the count to his own thoughts. The only thoughts running through his head was how much money he would have to spend on resolving these issues. It was already obvious how he was going to get the job done…hire assassins.

Bastian was standing next to a small lake, not far from Crimea's palace, but far enough that no one would come looking for him. "Volke," he stated the name, knowing that the fireman was probably somewhere behind him in the trees. Volke walked out from the shadows and looked expectantly at his constant employer. "I'm sure you know of the blood pacts that have enslaved the laguz nations. Elincia has charged me with the job of destroying them. I trust…you know what you have to do?" Bastian didn't even turn around to look at the rogue. "500,000," came the deep voice. "Hm…before I agree to anything. I have someone I want you to spar with. Right here, right now. No killing, mind you. I just want you to assess each others skills."

A second person walked out from behind the trees dressed in the loose clothes typical of any thief, rogue, or assassin. A hood came up over his head and a bandana was tied around his mouth. No words needed to be said between the two assassins. Both immediately fell into a natural fighting stance as the stared at each other, daring the other to make the first move. Volke struck first; he wasn't one to wait around. He crouched before rushing his opponent, ready to come out of his low position and swing his blade at any time. The other thief spun out of the way and parried the slash of Volke's knife. A split second after the knives clashed together, both men jumped backwards and resumed their fighting stances, slowly circling each other. This time, the masked assassin moved first. He ran straight for Volke at a blinding speed, his knife poised to run him through. _Ha, he'll have to do much better than that. A frontal attack this early in the fight is a bad idea. This will end much quicker that I expected_ Volke though, ready to counter the other's attack. However, the masked rogue knew very well that this kind of tactic didn't work on anyone except those with little experience. He was only hoping to catch Volke off guard. Just before reaching him, the other thief jumped off of the ground, as if he was going to flip over his opponent. Volke brought his knife above his head, preparing to slash at the belly of the leaping figure. The masked assassin, yet again, expected this and twisted his body, landing soundlessly to the side of Volke. His hand shot out, the knife pointed at Volke's back, but Volke turned at the last moment and parried once more. Again, the two jumped back, regarding each other warily. And so it went, they circled, struck, parried, and retreated. Their knives clashed again and again as they tested each other's skills and strengths.

"That's enough," came Bastian's voice. Both assassins turned to him, their knives still raised. "Volke, the two of you are evenly matched, are you not?" Volke gave a small, quick nod, confirming 'yes'. "Good then, because the two of you will be working together as partners for this mission. Volke, this is the Shadow. I'm sure you've heard of his work." Bastian gestured to the masked man. Volke turned in surprise. The Shadow? He had heard of the Shadow's work and his skills. He was fast and accurate, silent and deadly; that was how he earned his name. Aside from himself, the Shadow was probably the most well-known assassin in Tellius. It was surprising to be standing face to face, but it was good to know that they were equal in fighting skill. "Since the two of you will be working together, I think you need to show him who you really are, my Shadow," Bastian said.

Volke watched, curious, as the Shadow closed his eyes as his hands reached up to remove his hood. In one swift motion, the hood along with the loose cloak accompanying it came flying off. A woman stood in front of Volke, completely clad in black. Her long-sleeved tunic had two buckles on the front left and underneath she had a light armor guard protecting her ample chest and flat stomach. Her pants were tight fitting, like her tunic, and she had had a few sheathed knives on the side of her thighs. Her long hair was midnight black and an equally dark scarf was around her neck, the ends billowing out behind her. Her eyes were a deep sapphire blue and held a sharp, determined glint. Her lips were small and full, but set in a grim line.

The famed Shadow was…a woman? It had taken him off guard, to know that a female was so high up in this line of work. Volke felt something stir within him; something he had never felt before. This girl was so very dangerous…yet so very attractive. He hadn't met too many women in his business, and the ones that he did meet were usually killed within moments. So to see _this_ woman standing before him, equal in skill and prowess, was something quite extraordinary. Obviously, she was very fit and toned, but something about the way she held herself made Volke's heart twinge, ever so slightly.

"Well, secret's out. The Shadow is really a woman, as you can clearly see. Her real name is Alanna. Alanna, I'm sure you've heard of the Fireman." Bastian nodded in Volke's direction. Alanna turned to her former opponent and the two gave each other a small nod of recognition. "Good. Now that that's settled, I will briefly describe your assignment. You are to travel to the Senators' homesteads in Begnion and steal the blood pact from them. Do not destroy them, but bring them to me. I'd like to observe them before disposing of them. Once those are in my hands, I will have you focus on the assassination of the rulers of the laguz tribes." Volke and Alanna nodded at him; neither was one for words. "Alanna, I'll be paying you the same as I'll be paying Volke. 250 now, 250 later." Alanna nodded again as Bastian handed each of his two hired hands a sack of gold coins.

Alanna and Volke turned their back to Bastian as the stealthily retreated into the forest again. It was going to be a long walk to Begnion…


	2. Chapter 2

The two had been walking for a few days now, getting closer and closer to the first senator's house…mansion, rather. The two hadn't said a word to each other as they traveled in silence. They shared their provisions wordlessly and took turns creating a smokeless fire. For some reason, they felt a bond between them; a strong yet silent bond. They were going to be on this mission together for several weeks and they knew they would have to trust each other…to a certain extent.

Alanna saw a patch of fur behind a cluster of bushes; she drew a knife out of its sheath and threw it in one swift, fluid motion, aiming for the splotch of color. No sound came out from behind the bushes as Alanna went over to inspect her handiwork, Volke looking at her with a confused look on his face. He would have heard an enemy approaching…what was she attacking?

Alanna walked back to him, a dead and bloody hare hanging from her hand. He saw it and immediately understood. Dinner. He pulled out his own knife, taking the animal from her and quickly skinning it. Alanna grabbed some dry twigs and a few dead leaves as she proceeded to light them on fire. They watched their meal cook, the raw flesh slowly turning brown. When it was done, Volke sliced it into pieces, giving himself and his companion an equal share. They ate soundlessly as they admired the small, crackling fire.

Volke finished first. He licked his fingers clean before stamping out the flames. The moon was bright tonight and the fire would have only attracted unwanted attention. Alanna finished her share soon after and she laid down on the ground, ready for sleep. Volke copied her movements, gratefully closing his eyes as he felt his body relax from the long day's walk.

They slept close to each other, but not so close that their bodies were touching. There were no romantic intents between them; they needed each other to keep warm throughout the cold nights.

Volke and Alanna woke up early the next morning. They looked at each other, their eyes asking, "are you ready to go?" Their heads gave barely perceptible nods as they began walking, the sun rising above the horizon line behind them. And so the days went…they rose with the sun, walked a good ten fifteen miles before stopping for food, then trudged another long distance before having a small dinner and going to sleep.

After two weeks of traveling, castle walls loomed into view behind the forest of trees. The two assassins exchanged glances: this was their first target. They slowly crept closer to the high stone walls, searching for an opening. Finally, along the east wall, they spotted an open window. Volke scaled a nearby tree and jumped in, Alanna close behind him. There were no sounds echoing through the castle walls as the two quickly made their way to the bedchamber, following the map that Bastian had given them.

Upon arrival, Alanna bent down and deftly picked opened the lock, Volke scanning the hallways for any unwanted witnesses. Alanna opened the door and Volke went in first, swiftly into the large room…only to be greeted by two dozen guards. He mentally cursed his luck as he drew his knives. The senator was nowhere to be seen among the charging soldiers.

They swarmed around him, swords and axes swinging. Volke managed to get his knife through a few of them, but there were just too many. Even with Alanna's help, he knew it would only be a matter of time before they were overtaken. The soldiers eventually broke through his defenses and grabbed him, tying his hands and feet together. As they carried him out of the room, Volke noticed that Alanna had disappeared. Whereas another person would curse her for leaving them behind, Volke thought, _smart_. It was better for one of them to escape and complete the job rather than both die for nothing.

---

Death. The one word rang through Volke's mind as he willed his body to stop functioning. The soldiers had knocked him out and chained him to a wall after they caught him, his arms and legs in steel shackles. When he awoke, they demanded answers. Who was he? Who sent him? What was he after? Was he alone? Volke, true to his character, said absolutely nothing. Then they started to get angry. They left him with his torso exposed and began beating him, torturing him. Wickedly curved blades, whips, burning metal. Anything that would cause him pain and provoke any sort of response. Sweat beaded Volke's brow as he kept his lips sealed. He could have given in, revealing his assignment, and death would have come. Ah…death…how badly he wanted it; his body was covered in blood, dripping into a pool that was collecting underneath him. But he wouldn't allow himself to say anything. Somehow, he felt that he couldn't betray Alanna…

His ten guards began advancing toward him again. Time for another round of torture… Volke knew that his end was coming soon, just not soon enough for his liking. He had already lost a lot of blood and his vision was getting hazier and hazier. Why couldn't he just _die_? He closed his eyes; he didn't even try to brace himself as the first soldier came at him, he just waited for the pain to resume. When nothing happened, he opened his eyes a crack, as far as he had the energy for. A black shadow had dropped down in front of him, pieces of steel protruding from the dark mass.

---

Alanna had hid herself when Volke got ambushed and meant to follow behind them. Somehow, the enemy knew that Volke wasn't the only unwanted guest in the castle and they had discovered her, too. They had knocked her unconscious before dragging her to a prison cell. When she woke up, the found out that the senator's guards were stupid enough to think that rope would tie her down. True, they took away all her weapons, leaving her in a seemingly hopeless state. Too bad she still had several knives on her. Anyone would have known that thieves always had knives concealed in their clothes…well anyone except those idiots. She wriggled one of her arms free of the ropes that bound her, ignoring the pain that the chafing was causing her. She drew out one of her blades and went to work on the cord, smiling to herself as she saw it snap into pieces.

She escaped her so called 'cell' and began looking for Volke. There were no other prisoners on the floor she was on so she began a painstaking search. Avoiding other people's vision was a simple task for her; she was the best at traveling silently and stealthily, thus she had earned her assassin name: the Shadow. However, finding her partner wasn't as easy as she'd hoped. Luckily, two guards walked past her, talking about a 'special' prisoner that was being interrogated in a secret underground holding area. _Perfect_ she thought as she made her way to the lower levels of the castle. She found the room the soldiers were speaking of, but she knew that picking the lock wasn't an option this time. The second the unknown number of soldiers inside heard the lock moving, they would be prepared for her assault. She moved quickly as she began to form another solution.

And here she was, now. After cutting away the stone slabs that served as the ceiling, she jumped into the poorly-lit dungeon, knowing that the element of surprise was on her side. Alanna slowly came up from her crouched landing, he back straightening gradually as she turned an icy glare at Volke's captors. She wasn't expecting ten guards, though. How many men did it take to question _one_ confined prisoner? They looked at her in surprise until one spoke, "It's a _woman_?"


	3. Chapter 3

Alanna's eyes narrowed and she rushed forward, blades in hand. Those men had no idea how many people had said the exact same thing to her. And those words would be the last ones ever uttered out of their lips. She took two lives before they regained their senses. They charged at her from all sides and she spun around inside the circle they formed around her. There weren't too many of them, but she was all alone and surrounded. Her knives moved so quickly that Volke could only see flashes of silver. He watched in awe as he noted that it was almost as if she was dancing. Her moves were quick, yet graceful. Her movements deadly and beautiful. She parried many a blow, but her enemies still managed to get past her defenses from sheer luck; she couldn't block eight weapons at once. She didn't cringe as a sword blade sliced through her lower back. She made no sound as a dagger cut through her arm. All she could focus on was blocking the killing shots and striking with her own. They eventually fell one by one; an amazed Volke watched as Alanna savagely pulled her knife out of her last victim, his lifeless body slumping to the ground.

Alanna turned to look at Volke then, and her eyes immediately widened at the bloodied mass before her. "Volke!" she cried softly, running over to him as she removed her gloves. The Fireman felt cool hands on either side of his head as he painfully looked up into her concerned sapphire eyes. This was the first time she had ever spoken aloud to him, and her voice wasn't harsh, like that of a killer's, but rather soft and smooth…a beautiful voice to match a beautiful body. She brushed his sweat-beaded hair out of his forehead in a gentle motion. "I'm so sorry, I tried to get here sooner." He didn't say anything in response…he couldn't, his body was in such terrible shape. Alanna pulled a small vial out of some hidden compartment in her tunic. When she uncorked it, the smell of magic reeked in the air.

She poured out a small amount of the gel-like substance inside onto her uncovered fingers. Gently, her fingers barely touching his skin, Alanna rubbed what was presumably ointment onto Volke's wounds, ignoring the blood flowing from them. The gel glowed a soft green under her fingers and Volke felt his skin closing, the blood slowly retreating back into his body. When she was done, the vial was almost empty, but Volke was completely healed. The only evidence of his torture were his bloodstained pants and the pool on the ground; his body showed no scars.

She grabbed the keys and unlocked the shackles around his wrists. Volke fell forward, still weak from the physical agony he had endured. Alanna caught his upper body, one hand around his strong back. She paused, just slightly, to admire the feel of his powerful build against her. She squatted to free his ankles, her heart wrenching at his labored breathing.

Once he was unrestrained, Alanna stood up, careful not to jostle the figure that was leaning on her for support. Instinct told her to wrap her arms around him and comfort him…but her trained body quickly suppressed these feelings. She pushed forward, helping him to balance on his own two feet. He let out a small groan, but he was recovering quickly. When he was able to stand alone, Alanna went to the fallen soldiers, quickly scanning their belongings and taking whatever she thought would be useful. "Whenever you're ready to go, Volke," she said patiently. Volke nodded, still stunned at the softness of her voice. He made his way over to his discarded clothes, slowly putting it on as he winced in pain.

"What did you use?" he asked hoarsely. "Healing potion," she responded, pulling out the almost-depleted vial. "It draws all the surrounding blood back into the body, and heals the skin. You will still feel pain, but it will subside." Volke nodded in understanding; his body was still screaming in pain. Laboriously, he picked up all his knives, gingerly putting each one back where they belonged. Lastly, he tied his signature red scarf around his neck as he slowly walked to Alanna.

"Thank you," he said quietly, refusing to look at her. He was shocked that she had come back to rescue him, but he had felt something throb in his heart. She could have just left him there to die, but she had returned to save him.

Save.

_Him_.

He had already felt closer to her than any other person on the continent, due to the many days they had traveled together. But now…now he felt something stronger. He had never feared anything in the past, but this new sensation scared him. He was an assassin! He _killed_ people! There was no way he was developing feelings, _especially_ for someone else. Yet unexplainably, he was, and they were growing stronger by the minute.

Alanna's heart thudded loudly in her chest. Volke's deep voice had recently started to make her shiver mentally, almost as if it had the power to probe her mind and shut down all its functions. She kept a stiff mask on her facial features, keeping her eyes sharp and lips in a line. Nothing could break her concentration…well, there was _one_ thing, but she refused to think about it. They crept out of the underground room, locking the door behind them. As they began going back up, Alanna felt blood oozing down her body. The fight had taken its toll on her and she was beginning to feel weak.

"Senator…bedchamber," Alanna barely coughed out. Volke didn't seem to notice as he began heading back to the bedroom. Thankfully, the door was now unlocked. He opened it and stepped in, smirking at the sight of the snoring senator. Too easy. He took out a small throwing knife, specially made for one-shot kills. He threw it, enjoying the small whoosh it made in the air before striking its target: the senator's bleating heart. Satisfied that they had at least completed their mission, Volke walked away from his dying victim, taking Alanna by the arm and running lightly towards the exit.

Physically, he began feeling much better when he heard footsteps in a nearby hallway. He pulled her behind him as he began to run, not noticing that she was in pain. Strenuously, Alanna picked up her pace so that she was running at his side, since she knew the way out. She pointed in the directions to go, and the two assassins darted to the open air of the night. Once out, Volke quietly urged Alanna faster for they were now in the open, vulnerable, should anyone decide to look outside.

Alanna's vision blurred as she struggled to keep up with him. Once in the shelter of the dense forest, Volke, much to Alanna's relief, slowed down. The Fireman noticed his partner staggering and he immediately placed an arm around her waist to steady her, not thinking about the consequences of what his actions would suggest. And that's when he noticed. Blood was flowing freely from her backside, running down his arm and her legs. "Alanna!" he whispered, "why didn't you tell me?"


	4. Chapter 4

She looked at him weakly but didn't respond, her eyes portraying the pain she felt. He guided her quickly to a small moonlight clearing, intent on cleaning her wounds. "Potion," he demanded as she fumbled around in her tunic. Volke grabbed it and watched as Alanna painfully lifted her hands to undo the buckles of her tunic. He stepped in front of her, forcing her hands back down to her sides. He undid the buckles easily, pulling off her bloody tunic. He grabbed the bottom of her armor guard and asked huskily, "Are…are you…covered?"

She gave him a small nod, having no energy to blush, and he hesitantly pulled the guard over her head. He stared momentarily at her cloth-wrapped chest, admiring the gentle curves of her full bosom, feeling heat rise up to his cheeks. Before she could notice his wandering eyes, Volke turned her around to observe the ugly gash on her lower back. Uncorking the potion, he applied it to her cut, watching with fascination as the blood was seemingly sucked back into her, her skin closing up behind it. He did her arm next, enjoying the soft feel of her skin. The vial was now empty.

It was Alanna's turn to thank him, her voice coming out in a small rasp. He looked away as she pulled her upper clothes back on slowly. "We should walk a little farther in," he said, turning toward the trees, his face still burning. Alanna nodded as she followed him into the forest.

They went off into the darkness of the forest at a much more manageable pace than before. Alanna quickly fell into step next to Volke and the two walked side by side, an unseen comfort being drawn from each other.

They reached a place where there was just enough room for both of them to create a small fire and lie down. Volke gathered some dry twigs and quickly got a tiny flame going as Alanna sat down, physically and mentally worn from the earlier events. The Fireman sat down next to the Shadow as they warmed themselves by the red glow. Alanna felt a sudden urge to lean her head on Volke's shoulder; he was sitting so close to her that she could feel his body heat mingling with her own. But she didn't. She refused. It took more concentration than it should have, but she did it anyway. Emotions would only compromise their ongoing mission.

Volke snuffed the fire out after they had finished eating and he lay down next to Alanna, just like he had been for the past couple of weeks. Somehow though, this time was different. He could _feel_ her body next to him even though they weren't touching. He wanted to roll over and put his arm around her but he immediately squashed the idea, ashamed. "Pleasant dreams, Volke," she said as her head rolled to the side. "Pleasant dreams…Alanna," he said after a slight pause. He had said her name after she had fallen asleep, her body and mind filled with fatigue. It felt so right on his mouth, the way it rolled of his tongue at the end.

He stayed awake for a while, thinking about when his life had taken such a sharp turn. In the past, if he wanted something, he would steal it without giving it a second thought. But to steal a woman's heart? That would prove to be quite difficult. And what then? Suppose that somehow, she _did_ have feelings for him…what would they do? They couldn't be assassins anymore…after all, assassins and emotions weren't two things you could mix together without dire consequences. It would be nice to have _someone _you care about and vice versa, especially when they got too old to kill anymore. But who ever heard of a retired assassin? Most died long before the average person.

Volke fell asleep, his brain swirling with questions and possibilities.

A few hours later, Volke woke up with a start; he had heard something moving close by. Without sitting up, he looked around, scanning the trees for any sign of an intruder before he set his gaze on the woman sleeping next to him. Alanna had rolled over, crunching the dried leaves underneath her body. Now she was facing him, a calm and serene look on her small face. She was so close to him…Volke stared at her, his arm reaching out to stroke her cheek.

His hand froze in midair, just before he touched her skin. His eyes narrowed and his teeth clenched as he stared at his unmoving arm. Volke was fighting an internal struggle; what he _should_ do and what he _wanted_ to do. What he should do was to bring back his arm, turn around, fall asleep and never think about her in that way ever again. To ignore the way his heart sped up when she looked at him. To forget about how…safe he felt when he was in her arms. That was what he _should_ do.

What he _wanted_, however, was a completely different story. He wanted to caress her cheek, to stroke her long black hair. He yearned to put his arm around her and pull her closer. To hold her tightly in his arms and never let go. To see her smile at him and into his eyes with her own beautiful blue ones. That was what he wanted. And he wanted it _bad_. His arm was trembling now, his teeth clenched as he tried to make a decision.

Finally, he gave in to his mind and not his heart, just like he had been for the years. His arm shot back to his side as he quickly turned away from her. He couldn't, _wouldn't_ allow emotions to control him.

His eyes shut furiously as he tried to banish all his previous thoughts from his head. When did he so quickly lose control over his body? His actions? Everything he did around her was based on instinct, on impulse. What was she doing to him?


End file.
